Sacrifices Made
by BuffySummers168
Summary: *completed* A one-chapter snapshot from the lives of our favorite characters.


**Hey all…here's my first ever stand-alone fic.  I plan on it being the only one in this particular story line, unless for some reason I get an overwhelming amount of reviews asking for more.  If so, then I'll either write a prequel, sequel, or maybe even both if it's asked for.  That said, enjoy!  And, as always, I own nothing but the situations these characters are put in. **

Harry's POV

I always thought we were perfect for each other; like it was fate that we all met on the train and ended up in the same compartment all those years ago.  Hermione was the brains, while Ron and I were the guys that put all of her plans into action.  Now, at the end of our seventh and final year here at Hogwarts, I felt like I was on top of the world.  We had defeated Voldemort for good at the end of last year.  We weren't absolutely sure of that fact until Snape burst into Dumbledore's office, eye's wet with yet unshed tears.  This scared us all, thinking that something terrible had happened that had caused our renowned unflappable teacher to be on the verge of tears, until we saw what he was holding out.  A clean, perfectly unblemished, forearm.  We all jumped up and hugged each other, saying words of hope and prayer for a new world.  It was Myself, Hermione, and of all people….Malfoy, in Dumbledore's office that day.  Somewhere in my mind, my subconscious told me that I would have the perfect memory from this day to conjure my patronus now.  We weren't stupid enough however, to think that the world would be peaceful after today.  There were still a lot of Death Eaters to find and put away in Azkaban, as well as the everyday problems that come with life.  That thought brought a frown to my face, which Hermione noticed immediately.  She could tell what I was remembering, as I knew she was now as well.

   It was right before we went into that last battle together, that Ron confessed his love to Hermione.  The look on her face was like that of someone getting exactly what they wanted on Christmas.  However, nothing more was said between the two of them, because Hermione and Draco were both taken prisoner by Draco's own father Lucius Malfoy that very same night.  Something must have happened during that time between her and Malfoy, because she came out of the disaster and started calling him Draco.  Something we'd never done even right after we met him.  Ron noticed this as well, and of course went ballistic.  Two weeks ago, she had been ecstatic about his confession of love.  Now, after her ordeal, she told him that she needed some space to sort things out.  I tried telling him that she had been through a lot, and needed some time to think, but he would have none of it.  He insisted I tell him the password to the dorm that Hermione and I shared as head boy and girl.  At first, I declined, telling him that she went there to rest.  However, after an hour of his constant whining and promises to not bother her, I relented, knowing I'd regret it later when Hermione tracked me down and beat me over the head for letting Ron bother her.   Shrugging my shoulders at the thought, however, I headed from the great hall to Gryffindor tower to track down my girlfriend Ginny to do some love-professing of my own.  

Ron's POV

Heading towards Harry and Hermione's room, I took some time to think about what exactly I was going to tell her when I got there.  We had all come to the conclusion that something had happened between Malfoy and Hermione while they were prisoners of Lucius Malfoy, but none of us knew exactly what that something was.  To complicate matters more, both Hermione and Malfoy refused to speak about their experience, saying that it was over and there was no need to talk about it any more.  I think that Malfoy did something to her, but she insists that he helped her more then she could ever say.  We'll see about that.  I decided, finally, that after talking to her about my feelings, she would in typical Hermione fashion claim to need time in the Library.  During which time, I would look into the pensieve that I knew Dumbledore had given her to clear her mind of the thoughts that plagued her from her time in Lucius's dungeons.  Then I would truly know what happened and prove that Malfoy had done something terrible to her.

            After a good hour had passed since I'd left Harry in the Great Hall, I figured it was time to confront Hermione and put my plan into action.  Being that Harry and Hermione were both the heads of the school, they got to have their own rooms connected by a common room similar to the Gryffindor one.  Hermione was thrilled, because it came with a portrait that lead straight to the library.  I think she hugged Dumbledore for 15 minutes straight after she learned he had added that especially for her.  I was jealous at first, that my two friends were chosen for such a high position and I wasn't, but they never made me feel left out, always hanging out in the Gryffindor common room like old times.  I'd been in their rooms plenty of times as well, but always from the passage from the Gryffindor room.  It was easy, however, finding the painting that had the four founders of Hogwarts on it like Hermione said it would.  This was their main entrance that they used when coming from anywhere other then our common room.  Taking a breath, I said the password Harry had given me.

"Light will always win"

The portrait swung open.  I walked into the dark common room, nearly tripping over the chair in the middle of the floor.  I was about to say Lumos when I saw the door to Hermione's room was cracked open with a bit of light pouring out.  I began to walk towards it, rehearsing in my head what I would say to her, to convince her that I loved her, when I heard it.  I stopped immediately and stared at the door, not quite sure that I heard what I thought I had.  Then I heard it again, the breathy moan who's owner's voice I recognized immediately, whispe

_"Draco"_

My heart leapt into my throat, and I found myself feeling dizzy.  I should have just turned around and run right out of there, but I found myself needing to see it with my own eyes.  It's like the car wreck you just can't turn your eyes away from, no matter how much you know you should.  My heart pounding in my ears, and my breath catching in my throat, I slowly walked towards her door.  I tried to rationalize to myself what I would find, hoping that it would be Draco attacking her or something of the sort so that I could justify cursing him to kingdom come, but in my heart I knew.  

_"Oh Draco…"_

I stopped outside of her door, and peered through the crack that had been left open.  There, lying on the bed wrapped up in each others arms, were Malfoy and Hermione.  My eyes refused to believe what they were seeing.  My Hermione, My virginal Hermione who I always thought would save herself for her one true love.  I, of course, always hoped it would be me.  Obviously she was not quite as virginal as I had once led myself to believe.  That didn't change the fact however that the woman I loved was on top of my sworn enemy riding him into orgasm.  My heart begged me to look way, to stop torturing myself, but my eyes refused to comply.  Suddenly, he rolled them over so that he was on top, and began to drive into her with abandon.

"_Oh god, don't stop Draco"_

He reached down between them, touching her in places I had only dreamed of having access to, and with a scream of his name Hermione came right before my eyes.  I was as hard as a rock watching her, yet felt the bile rising in my throat, because right in front of me was the proof that she would never be mine.  A few more harsh thrusts and Draco followed her into oblivion, with her name on his lips.  I turned around and rushed out of the common room not caring if I made noise or not, only screaming in my head "It can't be real, it can't be real".  I don't remember the journey through the hallways, but eventually I found myself sitting in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room.  Blackness was swimming throughout my vision, and as I watched the flames of the fireplace dance with a joy and abandon I knew I'd never have.  All I could see was Draco thrusting into the love of my life, which I would now never have.  She had such love in her eyes when looking at him, and I knew that I wasn't even a concern in her world at the moment.  As I pictured her release once more, I heard a guttural scream that sounded as if it had come from a mortally wounded animal.  The next thing I knew, I was waking up in the Hospital wing with Ginny and Harry looking over me worriedly.  Later, she told me that it was I who had screamed.  

Draco's POV

As Hermione and I came down from our mutual releases, I brush a lock of hair that has fallen into her eyes away and smile down at her.  I don't know what I did to deserve such a wonderful creature such as her, but I'm definitely not going to let my time with her go to waste.  She smiles up at me and brings my head down to hers and places tender kisses along my jaw line.  Her mouth reaches my ear and she whispers the words that I will never tire of hearing, no matter how long I live.

_"I love you, Draco"_

I pull away and capture her lips with mine, and then tell her the same.  One would think us crazy to feel like this after only about a week of truly knowing each other, but we don't care.  The ordeals we had been through matured our relationship faster then any other.  It started based on a mutual need to survive, but evolved quickly to something much deeper.  Pulling my mind back to the present, we kiss for a few more moments.  My eyes glance up and notice that the door to her room is cracked open a bit.  A small frown graces my lips and she gets a questioning look in her eyes.  I turn towards her and smile my reassurance, thinking that we must have accidentally left the door open in our rush to reach the bed.  It's forgotten in a moment as she begins to seductively rub her hips against mine once again. 

            Much later, I wake up to the sunlight pouring down into my eyes.  Could it have been only a day or two ago that I thought I'd never see the sun again?  I slowly untangle myself from Hermione, and get up to take a shower.  I'm only in there for a few minutes when I feel a familiar pair of arms wrap themselves around me from behind.  I turn in her arms and smile down at her. 

 "And here I thought I was being sneaky getting out of bed without waking you." 

 She smiles back.  "I can always feel when you're not around, even when I'm sleeping."

  So we spend a good 20 minutes cleaning each other in the shower, and then get out and dry off.   School won't officially reopen for another week, so as to give all the students time to celebrate with their family and friend, so there's no rush to be anywhere.

"I'm going to go to the library and try to study some of the stuff we'll be doing next week, ok?"  She says, as she faces away from me brushing her hair.

"Alright" I say to her, thinking to myself _'Typical Hermione.  Would I want her any other way though?  Never.'    "I'll meet you there in about 30 minutes, ok?" _

"Ok" she answers.  She leans up and gives me a peck on the lips.  "See you then".  

With another smile she's out the door.  About 10 minutes later I'm on my way out the door to join her when the youngest of the Weasley runs up to me, her flaming hair rushing behind her.

 "Oh Draco!  I'm glad you're here.  Hermione's still inside then?" 

 I shake my head in disagreement.  "Nope, she's down at the library getting some studying in.  You know her, not even Voldemort could keep her from her books for too long.  Why?"  

Her face goes chalk white.  "It's Ron."  

The mere mention of his name causes me to tense up immediately.  While imprisoned together, she shared stories of Harry, Ron, and herself.  From the way she told them, I could tell before she even told me that Ron was in love with her.   "What about him?"

She falters for a moment.  "Well, you see….he came by last night."  I look at her confusedly.  "When?  I didn't see him…"  Then realization crosses my face.  "He didn't…" I began, but she nodded her head.  

"Yes, he did.  He came back to our common room and completely lost it.  I had to take him to the hospital wing.  When I came in this morning to check on him, he was gone." 

 Now it was Draco's turn to have a scared look on his face.  "Oh God, 'Mione!"  With that they both turned and ran down the corridors towards where the library was.  

As we neared the library, I could hear raised voices, and immediately I knew who they belonged to.

"What's the matter Herm?  Why is it you can give it so willingly to that bastard, but you won't even give a little bit to your best friend?"

I could see them, a good 50 yards away yet, with her pressed against the wall, Ron's hands on either side of her head, trying to kiss her. 

"Ron, please.  You know I love you…just not like that.  You're one of my best friends!  Draco is the man that I love like that.  You have to understand!"

"Oh I understand all right.  I'm just not good enough, never was.  You could have just let me down easily when I told you I loved you instead of acting like you felt the same way!  I thought I actually had a chance!  Well if you won't give it willingly, then I'll just TAKE what I want!"

I saw him pull back his arm, and knew I wasn't going to make it in time.  I watched as if it was all in slow motion as he backhanded Hermione, cutting her face with his nails.  Five seconds later, but also five seconds too late, I was there wrenching him off of Hermione, immediately tearing into him.  All I could see was red, as I punched him with all the anger I could muster.  Flashing in my mind over and over was the impact of his hand on her face.  I heard the satisfying crunch of bone as I broke his nose, and again when I made contact with his eye.  I didn't care, I didn't want to stop.  I wanted to kill him.  I could vaguely feel someone trying to pull me off of him, but I fought with them.  Finally, they succeeded, and restrained me as they tried to figure out what had happened.  I looked up, my vision clouded from the berserker rage I had just been in, and saw Harry Potter and Professor Snape both restraining me.  "What is the meaning of this Mr. Malfoy?"  Snape asked me.  Harry looked ready to kill me himself.  Then 'Mione whimpered from the corner she had shrunk down into.  One look at her face and the sight of her slightly ripped clothes, and Snape understood what had transpired here.  "Very well; Potter, take care of Malfoy and Granger.  I'll take Weasley up to the Hospital wing."  And with that, he levitated Ron out of there.  

            Harry looked down at me, and then held out his hand.  I accepted it and let him help me up.  Seeing that Hermione was in good hands, he walked away, head down, deep in thought.  I rushed over to 'Mione, where she still sat with her hand touching the rapidly forming black and blue mark, a disbelieving look on her face.

 "He hit me" she silently whispered, hoping that she was in some horrible dream.  I slowly pulled her off the ground, then lifted her into my arms, and started walking towards the hospital wing.

 "No!"  She shouted forcefully.  Then quieter, she said "Please, just take me to my room.  I don't want to be there and have to see him."

 So, I changed directions and headed towards her room.  When we got there, Harry was already there, sitting on the couch in the common room with his head between his hands.  With so much happening within the last two weeks, his best friend turning into a would-be rapist was too much for him.  Hermione had fallen asleep in my arms, so I walked towards her room.  I set her down, and tucked her into the bed we had just left not 40 minutes ago.  I went out to the bathroom to get a bowl of water and a washcloth to clean her bruised face with.  Just as I was about to reach the bathroom, Harry called out to me. 

 "Draco…" he started.  I look at him with a blank face.  "Had I known, you know I wouldn't have let him out of my sight…I hadn't realized how crazy he had gotten."

 I nodded my head, and offered him a small smile.  "I know you love her as much as I do.  I don't blame you…although I almost wish you hadn't gotten there when you did, so I could have killed the little bastard." 

 Harry smiled a little back at me, and then went into his room and closed the door.  I continued on my journey to get the water and rag to clean up Mione's face.  When I'd gathered what I needed, I made my way back to her room.  There I see her lying curled up in a little ball in the middle of her bed, the blankets I had tucked around her now lay squashed up at the bottom of the bed.  I sit down beside her, slowly turning her towards me.  If possible, her face looks even worse now.  There are four perfect little marks where Ron's fingernails hit her cheek, and a large nasty black and blue mark forming on the side of her face about the size of a fist.  I clench my own fist in anger as I again tell myself that I should have killed the bastard.  However, I calm down and dip the rag in the warm water.  I gently touch it to her face, barely making contact with her cheek, trying to wipe away the dried blood without awaking her.  She has other plans it seems though as she opens her eyes and looks up at me.  

"Hey baby," I say, in as soothing a voice I can muster with all these feelings of anger coursing through me.  "How are you feeling?"

"Like a train hit my face….you?"  Ah…sarcastic Hermione.  That I can deal with better then weepy Hermione.  "Funny love, very funny.  Come lay up against the pillow while I try to clean your face up a bit, ok?"

She nods and shimmies up to rest her head against the pillow.  I diligently go back to gently washing her face.  Her eyes look somberly up into mine as she asks

"I guess you can't lie to me and tell me that this was all a dream?"

I shake my head no.

"I didn't think so.  It was worth asking though.   I just don't understand why he went so crazy!  All I was doing was walking into the library, when he came up to me and asked if we could talk.  I said yes, and the next thing I knew, he had me up against the wall trying to kiss me!"

Draco sighed, and explained to the best of his knowledge what happened. 

Hermione smothered a gasp with her hand.  "Oh god, he saw us?  No wonder he went so nuts.  I had hoped to have time to talk to him alone before we told everyone about us.  No hiding it now I suppose.

I nodded my head.  "We weren't really hiding it in the first place.  I mean, we just got back a week ago; we needed time to get a hold of our thoughts before we went running out and telling everyone the news.  However, one things for sure.  You can call me a caveman or sexist or whatever you want, but you are not to ever be alone again until we figure out what we're going to do with him."  He expected an argument from her, about women's rights and her being able to take care of herself, but all he got was a nod of agreement.  

"I know this sounds awful, seeing as he's been my best friend for almost seven years now, but I'm truly afraid of him now.  If Ginny hadn't found you…."  She just left off there, not wanting to even think of what he would have done in that state of mind.

He nodded his head in understanding, and pulled her into his arms.  He stroked her hair, whispering comforts into her ear.  She had been through so much in such a short amount of time, and still she kept her bravery and sanity.

"Don't worry Mione….I'll never let anything happen to you ever again."

They fell asleep like that, holding onto one another, dreaming of simpler days.

Hermione's POV

As I stand here in front of all the seventh years, preparing to give the speech Dumbledore asked me to arrange, I couldn't help but remember the people that weren't here to share our graduation day.  This of course made me think of Ron, and with that always came the memories of that night that he attacked me.  Pushing this to the back of my mind, however, I began to say the words that I had been writing for well over two weeks.  

"Welcome Professors, students, parents, and friends, to this, our graduation day.  It is with great honor that I speak here today, the chosen voice of the 1998 graduating class of witches and wizards.  While we celebrate our honors and triumphs here today, let us not forget those of us who were sacrificed to our cause.  Without them, we would not have the freedom today to live without the fear of Voldemort constantly over our shoulders."

At that name, a few adults still shuddered.  All the students, however, had long ago learned better then to fear that evil man's name.  

"I'm not talking just about the students that were lost in the final battle.  I'm talking about ALL of the sacrifices that have been made over the years."

Hermione's eyes sought someone from the crowd way in the back, and nodded in his direction.  He nodded back.  

"Sirius Black sacrificed his freedom, withstanding the tortures of being wrongly imprisoned in Azkaban, only to later escape and become one of the key fighters on our side of the cause."  

Whispers of course ran rampant through the crowd.  Even though Sirius had been formally pardoned by the Minister of Magic, some people have problems letting go of the past.  Hermione ignored all of this, however, and continued.  

"Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom"

Hermione's eyes once again searched the crowd, landing on Neville Longbottom.  She quickly asked his approval, which he gave with a smile, tears in his eyes.

"This brave couple withstood hours of the forbidden Cruciatus Curse administered by Death Eaters.  Rather then tell information that could possibly harm our side's chance at victory, they refused to talk, causing the Death Eaters to keep the curse in place so long that in the end it destroyed their minds."  

Many people gasped at this information, not knowing the truth behind the rumors they had heard so many years ago.  

Taking a deep breath, Hermione prepared to continue.  She looked behind her for the support she knew she would find in the eyes of her best friend Harry, and the love of her life Draco.  

"My best friend Ron Weasley."  Ignoring the whispering in the audience, she continued.  "Driven mad by the actions of known Death Eater Lucius Malfoy, his life was lost shortly after the final battle was fought."  

This was a half truth, decided upon by Draco, Harry, and herself.  They wanted their best friend's life honored, not ridiculed.  As she outwardly named more people and their deeds of good, inwardly she was remembering that fatal night with Ron.

(Still Hermione's POV, but back in her memories)  

Hermione woke up with a dull throbbing emanating from her cheek, and for a moment was disoriented.  She knew she was in her bed with Draco, but what was wrong with her face?   Then it all came rushing back to her at faster than light speed, making her remember with an aching clarity what had transpired just a few hours ago.  With a groan, she crawled out of bed, trying not to wake Draco but knowing it would be impossible.  

"Where are you going, love?"  He asked groggily as he fought against the sleep that was calling to him.  

"Just going to take a shower, you go ahead and sleep for a few more minutes, ok?"

"Alright, but if you're not back here in 15 minutes I'm coming after you."

"That sounds more like a pleasant idea rather then a threat" she said, a wicked smile on her face.  

Draco cracked an eye at that remark and smirked at her in a way that made her legs fill like they were made of jelly.  Regaining use of her limbs, she through a smirk of her own over her shoulder and walked to the bathroom.  The effect was a little lost on Draco however, as he looked again at her face this morning.  It was a terrible shade of purple, black, blue, and yellow around the edges.  Every time he looked at her that same anger surged up in him.  Then, he knew what he had to do.  He knew Hermione wouldn't want it done this way, but he knew it would be the only way Draco would be able to get Ron to understand exactly what had happed to them when they were trapped in the Malfoy dungeons.  He opened the bathroom door a bit and checked on Hermione.  

"Love, I've got some things I've got to take care of.  Will you be ok for about 20 minutes until I can get Potter to come sit in the Common room to keep an eye on you?"

Pulling aside the shower curtain, she rolled her eyes at Draco.  Apparently it was too much to ask that her acceptance of what he said last night would last forever.  "Yes mom, I can even feed myself too."  

Shaking his head at her, he answered with his own sarcastic remark.  "Watch it girly, or you'll be sleeping by yourself tonight."  They both knew it was an idle threat, but it was part of the game they played with each other.  Smiling at him, she closed the curtain and went back to humming as she finished up her shower.  Draco chuckled to himself and shut the bathroom door.  Walking over to the fireplace, he grabbed a bit of blue powder and threw it into the fireplace.  Sticking his head in, he shouted "Gryffindor Common Room."

When she got out of the shower, the first thing she noticed was that Draco was no longer in the common room.  In his place sat Harry, who was sitting on their couch reading a book.  

"I see you've been sent to be my guard dog."  She said to him, the teasing evident in her voice.  

"Well, you know that overprotective man of yours; can't leave you out of his sight for more then a minute before he starts hyperventilating."   They both laughed at this, but at the same time knew that she was being watched with good reason.  Realizing that she was still standing there in just a towel, she turned towards her room to change.  

"I'm just going to go in her to change and stuff, unless your duty includes checking rooms before I enter them?"     

Harry glared at her good naturedly, and went back to reading his book.  Hermione continued towards the room she and Draco had so recently begun to share.  It was unnoticeable to most people, but she could see the beginnings of his touches here and there.  The bed was left messy, where she would normally have made it before she left.  Robes littered the floor that at first sight looked like they could have been hers, but upon closer inspection would show that they were much too large, as well as the fact they held the Slytherin emblem.  Then she looked to the most telling factor, a shelf that she knew held two pensieves, given to each of them by Dumbledore to hold their memories of their imprisonment, so as to relieve their weary minds.  Her eyes widened though, when she saw that only hers was their.  It was an unspoken rule that they had, which said that they only used their pensieves when they were in this room.  This meant one of two things.  Either Draco's was stolen, which she highly doubted since someone has always been in the dorm since the last time she saw it, or the second choice, which she thought was more likely.  Draco had taken it somewhere.  He had mentioned about needed to take care of some things, but hadn't mentioned what; and why would it include his pensieve, anyhow?  Time to go investigate, and see what Harry knew about all of this.  

Walking out of the room, she asked him.  "Harry, did Draco tell you where he was going?"  

Harry put down his book and turned towards her.  "He said something about going to see Ron.  He said he wanted to try to talk to him rationally and to explain some things to him."

"Oh shit."

Harry's eyes flew up at this comment, because it was rare that Hermione Granger let a curse word fall through her lips.  "What's wrong Mione?"  

"Draco's pensieve is missing.  I think he took it to show Ron what happened while we were kept prisoner by Lucius."

"I take it that it's a bad thing?   What exactly happened there Hermione that you don't want us to know?"

She sighed.  "It's not that I don't want you to know, Harry.  It's just that I didn't think Ron could handle it, and I didn't want to put you in the position where you had to keep it secret from him.  He wouldn't understand that Draco just did what he had to, to keep us alive."

Harry nodded in understanding, knowing how short tempered their mutual friend could be.  Yesterday was the perfect example, which probably destroyed the relationship between the three.  He urged her to continue with a small smile on his face.  With another sigh, she did just that.

"You see Harry, Lucius is a very sick man, who tortures his victims in the worst way he can think of.  Mentally, physically…whichever he thinks will break them in the worst ways possible.  Now, after giving me a dose of Versatium, He knew three important things.  One, that we had hated Draco since almost the first moment we met him.  Two, that I was a virgin, and three, that Ron was waiting for me back home, so recently just announcing his love for me.  His first idea was in the form of raping me."

Harry interrupted her here with a strangled cry of anger.  

She continued, knowing this was hard for him, but infinitely harder for herself.  

"Draco suggested that he do it instead, saying that it would piss you and Ron of more then anything ever could, given your history.  I was afraid of both prospects, but more so of Lucius than Draco.  I knew Lucius would be hard and unforgiving, savoring my cries of pain as he ripped into me.  I assumed Draco would be the same way, getting pleasure from humiliating me, but for some reason he seemed the better choice.  So, I screamed and yelled the opposite, showing my distasted at having Draco come near me.  This seemed to appeal to Lucius's torturing instincts, and he ordered me chained to the bed by some Death Eaters in the room with us.  When they were done, they left us, leaving only Myself, Draco, and Lucius in the room.  Draco, pounced on me, with an evil smirk on his face, but when I looked into his eyes, I could see something different.  He bent down my ear, obviously trying to look like he was biting at my neck, so I turned my face away from him and grimaced like he was hurting me.  He whispered in my ear that he didn't want to hurt me, that he was sorry he had to do this, but that he would be much gentler than Lucius every would be.  I could tell he was sincere, so I indiscreetly nodded my head against him so that he would know that I understood.  Long story short, he took me then, just as gently as he said he would, but I gave the obligatory shout of pain and humiliation in the right spots, so that Lucius would get a good show.  When it was over, I began crying for real, and Lucius laughed as he left the room.  Draco comforted me then, saying over and over how sorry he was, how he had tried to be gentle while still giving Lucius what he wanted.  I told him I knew, and that I could never thank him enough for doing what he had done.  Then I asked him WHY he had done it, knowing that he could have left me to Lucius and never given me another thought.  He went on to explain how he had gone to Dumbledore months ago, saying that he didn't want to turn out like his father.  Dumbledore listened to what he said, and offered him the chance to do a little spying for our side.  He readily agreed, and went back to acting like the same old Draco, to keep up appearances.  When I asked him why he went to Dumbledore, he revealed to me that his father had killed his mother just days prior to that, saying that she was a weak link that he no longer needed to keep around.  This had apparently proved to Draco what he had suspected all along.  Lucius's only concerns were himself and the Dark Lord.  No room for family, not even his own wife and son.  Anyway, when he found out his father had captured me, he immediately went to Malfoy manor, acting like he wanted to join in the fun of torturiThat night after everything that happened, we found a way to escape that made it look like we were freed by Dumbledore." 

Hermione stopped for a moment to gather her thoughts, and to let all that she had told Harry soak in.  

"You know," he said, "Dumbledore told us Draco was captured right along with you.  We thought you were taken together.  I guess that was just to prove the point to the other children of Death Eaters that their parents could turn on them at any time as well.  It was actually that telling fact that turned the tides in Slytherin house, making most all of them go to Dumbledore to pledge their allegiance to our side."

Hermione nodded her head in agreement.  "That was the plan, so I found out later.  Well, that's all that happened, in a nutshell.  The rest you know, seeing as you were with the group of people that found us making our way back to Hogwarts."

"You know, if Draco is planning on showing Ron all that you just told me, I think we had better go to the hospital wing to make sure there's no bloodshed."  

Hermione quickly nodded her agreement and they both jumped up and began to run to the hospital wing.  As soon as they got there, they witnessed both Draco and Ron being dumped out of the pensieve, having seen all that there was to see inside of it.  Ron immediately ran to the bathroom and began heaving up what meager contents had been in his stomach.  When he was finished, he pointed a shaky finger at Draco and screamed, "You're lying!  You have to be!  There's no way Hermione would willingly sleep with you after you did those things to her."   Then he screamed at his bedside "Accio Wand!"  When it flew into his hand, he pointed it at Draco and screamed the first horrible thing that came to his mind.  "CRUCIO!!"

Hermione watched in despair as her love dropped to the floor, his mouth opened in a scream that couldn't seem to find a way to escape.  She ran at Ron, throwing herself into him, making his wand drop out of his hand, stopping the spell.  Harry ran over to check on Draco, while Hermione started screaming at Ron.

"How could you do this?  What were you thinking!  The ministry is probably sending aurors over as we speak!  You know they have dark magic detectors in the hospital wing now!   They're going to put you in Azkaban!" She sobbed out at last.  Ron looked between Hermione standing in front of him, to Draco on the floor with blood coming out of his nose, to Harry on the floor with him trying to wake him up.  

"Just tell me it's not true, Hermione.  Just tell me that he didn't do all those things to you; tell me that you're not with him after he raped you."  

Hermione just stood there silently, not being able to deny the facts that he presented.  "I'm sorry, Ron.  It's not like how you think.  He saved me from Lucius that day, and several times afterwards until we were able to escape.  I thought you would understand after seeing what you did."

He shook his head in disbelief, and backed up a few paces.  "You're not the same girl I knew and loved.  Nobody is the same anymore.  He's changed you all!"  He screamed, pointed towards the unconscious Draco on the floor.   "I'm not letting him get me, however." 

Hermione didn't like the look in his eye that he had just then.  She tried to step closer to him.  "Ron, put your wand down.  I forgive you for yesterday!  We can sit and talk about this all together and try to work things out, ok?"

He was having none of it though.  He kept walking backwards, his hands over his ears, blocking out the words she was trying to calm him with.  Suddenly, he stopped, and got a deathly calm about him.  Looking Hermione in the eye, he raised his wand and pressed it against his temple. 

"It's the only way, Mione.  I do love you, you know, just like I love Harry.  You guys have been my best friends for so long; I've almost forgotten what it was like to live without you guys.  I'm not going to change that, however.  You guys will change, and we'll go our separate ways, and you'll all forget about me.  I can't live like that.  I REFUSE to live like that.  I love you guys."

Hermione screamed at him and leapt forward, hoping to stop what she knew was going to happen.  She was too late however; as two words fell from Ron's lips, followed by a green light and a sorrowful scream.

"Avada Kedavra"

With that, Ron was gone from their lives forever.  

A loud clapping and cheering sound brought Hermione back to the present, realizing that she must have finished her speech.  All the people in attendance were on their feet clapping and whistling, so she realized that it must have gone across was wonderfully as she had hoped when she had first written it.  Smiling her thanks and appreciation, she went back and sat down in her spot between Harry and Draco.  They both knew where her mind had been during the later half of the speech, so they each took a hand and squeezed it in an offering of comfort.  After Dumbledore made a few parting comments, the whole 7th year class took off their hats and threw them into the air with a resounding cheer.  Hermione looked first into Harry's face, which had a huge grin on it, as he wrapped his arms around her and swung her around.  When she regained her balance, she turned towards Draco.  His face still held his usual smirk, but his eyes showed his love and devotion to her.  She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with abandon.  He in turn wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him and returning the kiss with fervor.  When they finished, she leaned her forehead against his and smiled.  Her thoughts no longer on the sadness and the pain, only shouted one thing around her head.

  _'This is how things should be, for the rest of our lives'_

**The End.**


End file.
